just need some answers on brakes.

[iLLlegal]

k i did a search. i hate our search engine....anyway just wanna make this short and sweet.

 

my front brakes are pretty much %#@$ed i felt my front rotars and there very umm...like running your hand over something reallly ruff and bumpy....they should be smooth right

 

k so i want to replace the rotars and my brake pads...i just wanna know how hard it is to do...and will i screw it up. o and what will i expect when i take my wheels off..pretty much the process of replaceing these things

 

that was a mouth full. :X

 

 

thanks in advance

[88pathoffroad]

A Haynes manual will have the brake diagrams in it to look at, if nothing else. I don't think anyone's done a write-up cause it's such a common job.

[unccpathfinder]

its not hard at all if ure mechanically inclined...

 

u will need the following tools:

~spindle locknut tool (i used a dodge 1 from advance autoparts and cut the extra 2 taps off and shaped the last 2) see below

~a spring scale (i use a digital fish scale)

~snapring plyers or patience

~wheel bearing packer makes life easier

 

parts u'll need are:

~possibly wheel bearings and races (but most of the time they can be repacked and are good)

~outter oil seals (and inner if u want to pull the spindles off and do those too)

~rotors and pads (obvious)

 

the steps are:

remove wheel and jack up vehicle

remove locking hubs

remove 2 phillips head screws and use either locknut tool or punch to remove locknut (u might want to bust loose the spindle nuts that attach the hub to the rotor)

remove hubs and spindles (if u didnt break the spindle nuts loose u can always use an auxillary car to back over the rotor and break them loose if a vice is not present)

pop out oil seal repack bearings and apply grease then reinstall everything

[iLLlegal]

eep. that seems umm hard... ill review this some more..see if im up to the challenge

[unccpathfinder]

nah not hard at all just a lil intemidating the 1st time

[iLLlegal]

thanks unccpathfinder. appericiate all the help. i think ill try and do this on the weekend. and yes i am mechanically inclined

[unccpathfinder]

notta problem...if u do decide to replace the outter wheel bearings i've yet to see any place that has the right inner diameter (autozone and napa's were incorrect)

[Precise1]

Do the brakes squeal, and if so, is it from the metal of the pads rubbing ? If not, you can clean the rotors and calipers, scuff the rotors lightly(sandpaper), put in new pads with anti vibration goo on the back, bleed them and call it good. Thats a ghetto brake job and won't last as long as doing it right, but the pads will seat and work. I've done this several times long ago as a broke college student.

 

If you pull the rotors, you don't need the locknut tool; a screw driver, hammer and LIGHT tappity tap will do the same thing. Loosen the set screws first if I remember right, so you'll need metric allens. The spring gauge is also unnecessary. Find something the right weight (3 lbs ? use your bathroom scale) tie a string around it and hang it tangent to the rotor, perpendicular to the ground to measure the 'tension'.

 

All that said, buy a manual ! It is worth every penny and will tell you in advance basically what you are getting into.

 

B

[unccpathfinder]

If you pull the rotors, you don't need the locknut tool; a screw driver, hammer and LIGHT tappity tap will do the same thing. Loosen the set screws first if I remember right, so you'll need metric allens. The spring gauge is also unnecessary. Find something the right weight (3 lbs ? use your bathroom scale) tie a string around it and hang it tangent to the rotor, perpendicular to the ground to measure the 'tension'.

 

well in the porcedures it says to torque to like 75? ftlbs to seat the bearings and i figured its pretty tough to measure that with a punch/screwdriver that dodge tool (take a locknut if u can to measure and see that its the right diameter) was like $5 at advance and it took me like 5-10 mins with the dremel to cut it down

 

im the master at shortcutting but i'd hate to have to go back and redo all that stuff so i just spent the $5 on the locknut tool

 

and for a cheap torque wrench pepboys has a pretty decent 1 for like $20-25

 

and i forgot to mention for that bearing packer u'll need a grease gun theres a small 1 u can get at napa for like $10 that did the trick or u can pack them by hand but that sucks and is a lot more messy

 

and i forgot to mention when i pulled the oil seals out i took a screwdriver and cut a lil groove down the outside edge of the old seal and removed it with plyers be careful to not ding up the hub...to install the new 1 u can lay the old 1 ovr it if its not trashed and tap it in lightly with a hammer or i ususally take a piece of 2x4 and place that on top of the new oil seal and tap gently in a cross star pattern checking to make sure it goes in evenly

Edited May 11, 2006 by unccpathfinder

[sw]

nah not hard at all just a lil intemidating the 1st time

agreed

 

good info unccpathy

[Precise1]

well in the porcedures it says to torque to like 75? ftlbs to seat the bearings

 

Oops, sorry... I was just thinking about setting the existing bearings, not installing new ones. My bad...

 

B

[dagwoodzz]

Take some pics to add with what unccPathfinder said. I want to try it, but still short on courage.

[iLLlegal]

ha soooo. the shop i took my pathfinder to wants like $750 bucks to do my brakes. I think i will be doing them weather i want to or not.